Gmail Tips and Tricks Handout

Trish Williams, Instructional Design Center, [email protected], ext. 7526

Gmail Help - Gear icon > Help

MAIL INBOX OPTIONS:

Customizing Your Inbox - Gear icon > Settings > Inbox

INBOX TYPE - default (date order), important, unread, starred, priority (sorts by categories of importance)

INBOX CATEGORIES - primary, social, promotions, updates, forums (sorts mail into tabs)

Conversation View (groups replies into a thread)- Gear icon > Settings > General > Conversation View On/Off

> Save

Snippets (show snippet of message in inbox view) - Gear > Settings > General >Snippets On/Off > Save

Desktop Notifications (requires Chrome browser, need to have gmail open. Pin tab to keep it open.)

Gear icon > Settings > General > desktop notifications > new mail notifications on > save

MESSAGE ACTIONS & LABELS (FOLDERS):

1. Select or open message > more > to do the following:

Mark as unread, mark as important, add star, add to tasks, filter messages like these, mute, create event.

2. With message open, click triangle next to reply (to right of sender) for the above, as well as more spam

options, add to contacts, translate

Select all, only selects all messages that are visible on a page.

Drag and drop messages onto labels (same as move to)

Drag and drop labels onto messages (same as label)

Undo Send - ever send a message and wish you could get it back? Click undo link to retrieve mail within 30

seconds. Gear icon > Settings > General > Enable Undo Send > Save

Mute Conversations - if a conversation is no longer relevant to you, muting will send it automatically to “All

Mail” instead of your inbox. Select message > more > mute.

Unsubscribe from Newsletters -  click unsubscribe link next to sender at top of email when viewing message

Managing Labels - Mouse over label until triangle appears, click triangle for options (edit, remove, add

sub-label, add color, hide). Tip: color labels to add visual element to your inbox.

Gear icon > Settings > Labels (Hide in Label list or message list, remove, edit)

Hide labels hides them from the left column view, then click “more” to reveal hidden labels. Tip: show you

most frequently used labels, hide the labels you access less frequently.

SEARCH AND FILTERS:

Advanced Search - click triangle next to search field/magnifier to view search options.

Advanced serach parameters - https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7190

Create Filters to Automatically Label and/or Move Mail - generate advanced search > create filter with this

search... Or with message selected > more > create filter.

To View/Manage Existing Filters - Gear icon > Settings > filters

Hover mouse over sender’s email, to get pop up, and click “Emails” to get list of emails FROM or TO that

person. Also, for gmail users you can start video call or hangout.

GENERAL APPEARANCE & NAVIGATION:

Keyboard Shortcuts - Gear icon > Settings > General > keyboard shortcuts on/off > Save

Some keyboard shortcuts can be used immediately, and others need to be enabled before you can use them.

(Basic and common ones are automatically on)

Arrow Up and Arrow Down - to

navigate through message list in your

inbox

Return/Enter - to read message you

have highlighted

u = to return from message view back

to inbox

r - Reply

a - Reply all

f - Forward

s - to star a message

+ to mark label as important

l - Label

v - to move message

# - Delete

e - Archive

/ - Search

? - open list of keyboard shortcuts

c - Compose new message

d - Compose new message in new tab

Command + Enter/Return - Send

g + c - go to contacts

g + s - go to starred messages

g + i - go to to inbox

g + a - go to all mail

g + d - go to drafts

View Full List of Keyboard Shortcuts https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6594

Modifying Your Name for Sent Mail - Gear icon > Settings > Account (can’t change directory)

Add Picture to your Profile - Gear icon > Settings > General > My Picture

Themes change the design of your gmail interface - gear icon > themes

Enlarge Text in Chrome browser - browser > > zoom +

MANAGE MULTIPLE GMAIL ACCOUNTS:

Add an Account - add a personal Gmail account to your Ramapo login (Accounts stay separate but open in

new tabs. Advantage is ease of access with single sign in). Click account icon top right > Add Account

Account Delegation (managed by account owner, good for managing generic office accounts)

1. OWNER: Gear icon > Settings > account > grant access > add another account

2. DELEGATE will receive email invite to access account. Provides access with single sign-in, shows up under

your personal account. Takes about 30 minutes to verify/complete initially. Delegates mail only.